(Author’s request: If you plan on reading this post by quickly skimming, please do not read it. If you plan on reading with the intent of thoughtful introspection regarding content, please carry on. The reason I ask will be revealed herein. Thank you)
A Smartphone is one of the only products you’ll get instructions on its features and directions for use, but not any warnings or potential side effects. Moreover, unlike a pharmaceutical drug or a firearm, you’re not warned of the dangers of abusing it. The purpose of this post is to give you such warnings and precautions. The truth is that cellphones are both a blessing and a curse at the same time. For those of us that are followers of Christ the stakes couldn’t be higher. Improper use can lead to spiritual ruin. Follow me as I point out undeniable facts concerning cell phones, the dangers of their abuse, and what disciplines we can employ to keep ourselves safe.
A Necessary Evil
The truth is we really cannot go back to a pre-smart phone era. I read a survey done in 2024 that stated 98% of Americans own a smartphone. It does not matter if you’re young, old, rich, or poor. My 95-year-old aunt texts, sends and receives pictures and accesses social media on her phone. I can’t log on to my work PC unless I send the authentication code from my phone. And as a recruiter I send and receive texts, documents and links from candidates and new hires as a normal part of my job. Beyond that, there’s trivial things like when you’re waiting on a table at a restaurant. They use your phone to alert you when your table is ready and even pay the check. Add to that all the convenience and benefits. There is no question! It’s a marvelous device! But understand, “every technology changes the fundamental social dynamics of how we relate to the world, to one another, and to God”. (p. 35)
Who doesn’t like being able to face time with family and friends that are in another part of the country, send and receive pictures, do banking, pay bills, access social media, download music and videos, use GPS, email, calendars, reminders, look up information, order from Amazon, order food, or access various other types of products or services all with just a few clicks. However, such convenience isn’t void of hidden vice. In many ways our phones are changing us in ways we don’t realize.
I think Tony Reinke sums it up perfectly in his book, 12 Ways Your Cell Phone is Changing You, “(t)he glowing screen on my phone projects into my eyes the desires and loves that live in the most abstract corners of my heart and soul, finding visible expression in pixels of images, video, and texts for me to see and consume and type and share. This means whatever happens on my smartphone, especially under the guise of anonymity, is the true expose of my heart, reflected in full-color pixels back to my eyes” (p 27). Scripture warns us “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLT. And if we’re not careful the things on our phones can easily capture our heart
Research has shown that most of us check our smartphones 81,500 times a year. That’s once every 4.3 minutes, which translates to 144 times a day. In other words, our phones are causing us to become addicted to distraction, and this affects us psychologically and physiologically. The result of which we can become anxious, depressed, or even physically sick. Sorry, but If you have to check your smartphone every 4.3 minutes, you’re addicted. But why is it so darn addictive?
Addicted to Distraction
I asked myself, “Why am I so addicted to distraction?” There could be many reasons. I get bored. I’m afraid to be alone with my thoughts. I think I may be missing something. I want to escape a problem or uncomfortable situation. Truth be told, I’ve gotten into the habit of almost always having the radio, TV, or music on even when I’m doing other things. There’s usually an ear bud in my ear. The news, music, etc. I give the excuse that, “well I’m just multitasking” when the truth is that I could be just feeling lonely, afraid to be alone with myself, bored, or maybe I don’t want to address what’s presently going on in my life or maybe even something that God is dealing with me about. Consequently, I’m usually busy going from one thing to another or scrolling on my phone. “…hence it comes that men so much love noise and stir; hence it comes that the prison is so horrible a punishment…. To be without constant availability of distraction is solitary confinement, a punishment to be most dreaded.” (p.45) That’s why we flip out when we’ve misplaced our phone, the battery dies, or we forget it at home. “We think we want peace and silence and freedom and leisure, but deep down we know it would be unendurable for us.” (p.45) That’s why we welcome the pings, alerts, and push notifications, or check our phone every 3-4 minutes. We’ve lost the will or even the ability to be quiet, to be still, to be in silence. And silence actually has more benefits than you’d think.
Reducing noise provides the best environment for cognitive work. “A 2021 study found that those who worked in silence experienced the least cognitive load compared with those exposed to speech or other background noises. The participants working in silence showed the highest accuracy and memory when performing cognitive tasks. Moreover, silence resulted in significantly lowered cortisol concentrations, indicating less physiological stress.” (A Quiet Medicine: How Silence Slows Down Your Heart and Grows Neurons”, by Kakia Allbert, The Epoch Times, September 3.2025)
An ongoing environment of noise can cause an increase of hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which can lead to worsened cardiovascular health and oxidative stress. It’s good, both spiritually and psychologically, just to get away, go out to the woods, or out into a large field and sit quietly before the Lord. We can’t hear God if we’re constantly preoccupied all the time. Even when it’s not possible to physically get away, we all can take a mental rest and quite our mind and ask the Lord to help calm our spirit.
The Word tells us “Be still and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46:10 a) Read the story of what God told Elijah after fled to Sinai to escape Jezebel in I Kings 19. He was waiting to hear from the Lord. But He didn’t speak in the mighty wind. He didn’t speak in the earthquake. He didn’t speak in the fire. But “after the fire there was a gentle whisper. When he heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.” (1 Kings 19: 12-13 NIV) If we’re not careful, we can become so caught up in our daily life with all its distractions and tasks, that we fail to listen to that still small voice. Personally, I decided not to check my cell phone first thing in the morning. I’ll wait until after my devotions. It’s hard, but I’m just trying to put God first. Besides, even if there’s a situation or something that needs my attention, I think I could handle it much better after spending time with the Father first.
If we’re honest, resisting the lure of digital distractions is very difficult, especially in our present high-tech society. And like all addictions, once we develop a habit it is extremely hard to break. The truth is, we want to be distracted. Just being physically present with people isn’t enough anymore. “Historian Bruce Hindmarsh adds, ‘Our spiritual condition today is one of spiritual ADD.’ (p.47) We constantly find ourselves drawn away from the people who are physically present to the people online. When we do, we send a signal of disdain. It is like saying, “you’re not as important as what’s happening on my phone right now.” In fact, for some of us, the life we live on our phones is far greater than the life we’re living in the moment. Other times, we can become so busy trying to capture what’s happening by taking pics and videos to share online that we’ve actually missed the experience for ourselves. “Our social-media lives can stop our own living.” (p.66) Let’s take a look at a few possible reasons.
We crave immediate approval and affirmation. “Those who feed on nibbles of immediate approval from man will eternally starve.” (p.77) But why? Isn’t it true, when we post something online, send a group text, or post a meme, we’re constantly checking for positive feedback? This need for immediate approval becomes inordinate. I’m not immune. With every new post I’ll keep checking my blog to see how many hits I have. I’ll send my blog link to all my friends and family in an attempt to garner approval and affirmation. An insecurity of mine is my lack of formal education. Most of my education is autodidact. I won’t go into how many books a year I read or how much I study a day, because that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that I need to be more concerned with God’s approval and His affirmation and not that of man. But enough about me.
Another reason we are so distracted is our need to be informed. And we just don’t want information; we want the most up-to-date information. Sometimes the reason we check our phones so often is we don’t want to be the last to know something, whether it be from a work colleague, family member or friend. However, our online communication can adversely affect our offline communication. “The way we interact online becomes the norm for how we interact offline.” (p.116) We can become curt, easily irritated, and emotionally unavailable. Because in offline, face to face interaction, we’re not in control.
Another aberration, especially the kids of today, is that they are void of basic face-to-face social skills. They struggle in making or keeping eye contact when talking. Walking up to someone, introducing themself, looking that person in the eye while shaking their hand is foreign to them. Add to that the inability to pick up nonverbal cues from someone’s body language. Just recently, I rode through our neighborhood while the school bus was dropping off a bunch of junior high kids. They were all, I mean all, looking down at their cell phones while walking home. It didn’t matter if they were walking in a group or alone. It’s like they were mesmerized. It was like a Zombie apocalypse! Amazingly, they didn’t trip or run into anything. The only thing I could conclude was that they memorized the route home.
Another danger is the anonymity facilitated by these devices. Much like our thought life, our cell phones are our private world. We can surf, view content, gaze at pictures, play video clips, anything my heart desires in total anonymity…we think. We have a pass code on our phones not so much for security, but it’s that we don’t really want anyone to see our search history or who or what we texted. News flash, this is exactly what the enemy wants. A secret space with no accountability. “Anonymity is where sin flourishes.” (p.133) Like with most secret sins and vices we think there won’t be consequences or believe the lie that we can stop on our own.
In this casual sex/hook-up culture with its many dating apps and easy access to porn, smartphones can be the ideal tool of the devil. Tony Reinke, author of “12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You”, published in 2017, took a survey of 8,000 Christians found some concerning things. Nearly 50% of professing Christian men of various age groups regularly access porn. The trend among women was similar but in lesser proportions. Consequently, many of them are losing their capacity for human intimacy and unknowingly giving themselves over to bondage. “But online attention proves to be an incapable substitute for true intimacy, and the addiction to a crafted online image renders true intimacy impossible.” (P.69)
Scientists tell us every time we hear a ding coming from our phones a small amount of dopamine (feel good chemical) is released in our brain. Much like Pavlov’s dog, the phone dings and we immediately check it. “This new physiological conditioning means that our lives become more dependent on moment-by-moment approval of others.” (p.76) “Our smartphones draw us into unhealthy habits not because we want unlimited information, but because we want to stay relevant and entertained.” (p.147)
Studies have also shown that when we get used to skimming content and scrolling from one thing to the next, we lose the capacity to read deeply, ruminate, and ponder what we’ve read. “The more time I spend reading ten-second tweets and skimming articles online, the more it affects our attention span, weakening the muscles I need to read Scripture for long distances.” Consequently, we no longer want to read books. It’s like a diet of nothing but fast food and a craving for only things that are sweet. Our palate may be momentarily satisfied but we’re literally staving our bodies. Additionally, “(w)e lose our capacity to stop and ponder something deeply, to admire something beautiful for its own sake, to lose ourselves in the passion for a game, a story or a person.” (p. 86)
I read a recent article from The Epoch Times that endless scrolling can actually harm the brain’s attention system. In contrast, reading meaningful content daily can sharpen memory and delay cognitive decline. Additionally, high quality reading improves blood flow to the brain, builds focus and fosters empathy. Conversely, “Digital reading is unnecessarily hurried, and the habit bleeds into how we read our Bibles.” (p85) As Christians, if this happens, we will find ourselves weak, ineffectual, and easily overcome by various and sundry sins. Without realizing it, we start reading our Bibles like we quickly scanning information on our phones. And that’s not good.
The Word of God is not meant to be a quick read. In fact, there is nowhere in scripture that instructs us to simply read the Word of God. Paul told Timothy “Study to show thyself approved unto God.” (2 Tim 2:15 a, KJV) God tells Ezekiel to “eat the scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it” Ezekiel 3:1 The Lord said, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me will never hunger:” (John 6:35 a KJV) If we’re not careful we can become compulsively driven to fidgeting on our phones while we’re supposed to be communicating with and worshiping our Lord and Savior.
I’m convinced that many, many, Christians are spiritually starving because they think if they just read a few verses a day that will somehow help them grow in their walk with God. Not so, the Word is to be meditated on, digested within our spirit and then implemented in our day-to-day life. Consequently, we can find that we’re not walking in victory like we should because we treat our devotional time just something that needs to be checked off our list. In contrast, we think nothing of spending hours on our phones. Tony Reinke writes, “The more distracted we are digitally, the more displaced we become spiritually.” Moreover, if you’re not careful, that marvelous device in your hand can easily become an idol. Most people, including Christians, check their phones within 10-15 minutes after waking up. And then they become so preoccupied with their own agenda for the day, that they don’t give a thought about checking with God about what his agenda may be for them. Simply put, spending time with God is not their first priority. My question then is, who are we really serving?
Footprints in Digital Sand
Your digital Footprint determine adds that are tailor made just for you. Each year savvy companies spend billions of dollars to find out what you’ve purchased and what you’ve viewed online. In other words, they market directly to you. Ya know all those free apps? They are counting on you to become enticed to buy their product or service. They are hoping to inflame your passions. I can personally tell you that Amazon is definitely not my friend! I’m just helping Jeff Bazos become even richer!
What precautions can we take so we can avoid damage done by our cell phones?
Whether it’s a knife, firearm, chainsaw, or a motor vehicle, you need to understand the dangers of misuse and employ some dos and don’ts. Hopefully in all the above I’ve covered some of the dangers. Now let us look at some of the disciplines that we can employ.
- Pick up your Bible before you pick up your phone, particularly in the morning. Eternal things trump ephemeral things. Keep God first. Anything that takes first place in our life becomes an idol.
- Give yourself cellphone breaks on a regular basis. The Lord doesn’t want us to be in bondage to anyone or anything.
- Try not to take your cellphone to bed unless there’s a good reason to do so.
- Resist the urgency to respond immediately. Realize that you do not need to respond to everything the second it hits your phone. Have you ever did a “knee jerk” response only to realize later, you wished you had waited a while before you sent it?
- No cellphones at the table unless you’re eating alone.
- Have an open phone policy. My wife and I have such an agreement. We are free to check each other’s phones. I cannot even remember the last time I checked her phone. But just knowing that someone who’s close to you can view your phone can keep you from yielding to certain temptations.
- When you’re with family and friends stay off your phone unless you all agree not to do so for a time.
In conclusion, if you want to avoid cell damage, and help keep your phone from taking over your life, employ some good old-fashioned self-discipline. And remember what the Apostle Paul wrote, “Someone may say ‘I’m allowed to do anything,’ but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but not everything encourages growth.” I Cor 10:23 GOD’S WORD Translation.
(All page notes were taken from “12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You”, by Tony Reinke, 2017 Published by Crossway)